Pit Bull in Car...

[blehmannwa]

When I walked my crew at 11 a.m., I noticed a pretty brindle pit in a parked car on my street. She seemed nice but I never approach a dog in a car. My neighbor in the house that she was in front of has two pits so I assumed that her owner was visiting her and the dog was waiting b/c her pits are aggressive.
At 5 p.m., the dog was still there. I knocked on my neighbor's door and she did not know anything about a dog. However, she had seen the car there before and someone going to it a few times. Her pits are very reactive so she had been keeping tabs. She and I approached the car and found a young mama pit bull with a good coat, bright eyes and the oversized nips of a bitch that has nursed. The pit took a few milk bones from me through a rolled down window. She had a quilt in the back seat. There was a sealed gallon jug of water. I noticed that she was wearing a chain collar and leash which really bothered me. It looked too heavy and I never confine my dogs with collar and leash on.

I was reassured that someone had been checking on the dog from what my neighbor said and I went home. At 10 p.m. , I was petting my pit and I remembered car dog. I went back with more milk bones. She was still there. She took the cookies but didn't eat them. I came back with a liter sports bottle of water and she drank the whole thing, then ate the cookies.

Of course Animal Control is closed now. The dog is in no immediate danger--it's rainy and chilly but she has shelter and blankets, she's had food and water. If the owner returns, the worst that will have happened is a potty accident. I could call the police,but I doubt they will do anything...
Plus, the owner could be checking on her and I've just not seen her. I've left my dog in my car for a work day--with frequent breaks of course and in temperate weather--so I don't want to leap to conclusions.

I've decided to call the non emergency police number if the dog is still there at six a.m.--when my pup wakes up.

It just sucks.

[CassandGunnar]

Bless you and thanks for checking on her and following up with some food and water.

[DCluver33]

that's sad. thank you for checking on her and feeding her

[KendraLovey]

Was she still there this morning?

[Rerun]

I wouldn't jump to too many conclusions, but it's good that you're keeping an eye on it.

I once had to take Akira who was several years old at that time to a relatives house several hours from my home. She wasn't welcome inside (relative and I talked about it ahead of time), and they didn't have a fenced yard. So she stayed in my SUV with lots of special toys, peanut butter kongs and bones throughout the day, and I got her out every couple hrs at the longest for playtime and loving. A good chunk of the afternoon, 99% of our family members were out back playing with her (fetch, off lead, she's very well trained in recall so I trusted her completely) and the relatives labrador....

My point is that even if she hadn't gotten off lead run time, she would have been happy in the car all day. No different really than a crate. The rain certainly isn't going to bother the dog as it's inside, and unless it's ridiculously cold the cold won't bother the dog either. Was she shivering? The quilt likely was keeping her nice and cozy.

consider that people crate their dogs for 8 - 10 hrs a day many times for a normal work day (without water), so a day in a car in cool temps won't hurt her any.

Just some perspective.

[Rott-n-GSDs]

I would continue to offer water but would not give food. You don't know if the dog has allergies and the milk bones could cause a reaction.

[blehmannwa]

Thanks, She is still there this a.m. but someone with access to the car has fed and watered her. I'm not making any calls as I feel that she is better off in the car than the shelter. I live on a nice cul-de-sac of single family homes in a neighborhood of not so nice apartments and low income housing. The car is old and shabby. My feeling is that someone may be staying with someone in the apartments and not want to leave the car in the lots--lots of break ins.

I'll try to catch the owner today and find out the situation.

[KZoppa]

let us know!